The 3-year-old colt Frankel – to the surprise of no one – has been named Cartier Horse of the Year for 2011.

Workforce, a top European 3-year-old of 2010 but something of a disappointment this season at 4, has been sold by owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms to owner Teruya Yoshida and retired to stud at Yoshida’s Shadai Farm in Japan.

Workforce, a King’s Best colt, won 4 of 9 career starts. He won the 2010 Epsom Derby by seven lengths, and after a surprising defeat came back to capture the 2010 Arc by a head. Workforce was shipped to Churchill Downs for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf, but was scratched the morning of the race, his connections unhappy with course conditions.

Zazou held off a late threat from Rio de la Plata to win Sunday’s Group 1 Premio Roma at Capannelle racecourse in Italy, denying the defending champion his fourth career Group 1 win.

Ridden by Mikael Barzalona, Zazou closed from fifth in the stretch. The colt took the lead in the final quarter-mile and was fully extended to beat Rio de la Plata, who was at the back of the field early. Voila Ici, a Group 1 winner in Italy in June, finished third in the field of nine.

Black Caviar, Australia’s reigning Horse of the Year, extended her unbeaten streak to 16 races with an easy win in the $1.03 million Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday.

Ridden by a confident Luke Nolen, Black Caviar stalked pacesetter Buffering for the first half of the Group 1 race over about six furlongs, took the lead in the final quarter-mile, and won without significant urging by 2 3/4 lengths. Black Caviar was sent off at odds of 1-25.

Defending champion Rio de la Plata will be favored to win the fourth Group 1 race of his career in Sunday’s Premio Roma at Capannelle racecourse in Italy.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, Rio de la Plata is winless in five starts since the 2010 Premio Roma, but was a good second in two major stakes at Longchamp earlier this year – the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September and the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Oct. 1.

Defending champion Rio de la Plata will be favored to win the fourth Group 1 race of his career in Sunday’s Premio Roma at Capannelle racecourse in Italy.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, Rio de la Plata is winless in five starts since the 2010 Premio Roma, but was a good second in two major stakes at Longchamp earlier this year - the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September and the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Oct. 1.

Thursday morning’s dispute over training on wet grass – the BC Turf Tiff – set up a clash of continents.

The Euros thought they should be allowed to train on the Churchill grass course. The American track administrators said otherwise after rain fell about 9:30 Thursday morning. The first skirmish in this epic clash came on the Churchill backstretch, where some European trainers tried to force their way onto the course and were blocked by a security official, a member of the track crew, and Churchill outriders. The Battle of the Potomac had nothing on this drama.

If sheer numbers act as a guide, Europeans are in for a memorable 2011 Breeders’ Cup. Twenty-six of them are here for the Cup’s 15 races, with eight horses scheduled to run on Friday’s program, 18 on Saturday.

Most of the shippers arrived Saturday, with Aidan O’Brien – as is his habit – bringing his stock from Ireland as late as possible. O’Brien’s eight Saturday runners only arrived Tuesday and will not train until Friday.

Black Caviar will attempt to stretch her unbeaten streak to 16 races when she starts as a prohibitive favorite in Saturday’s $1.03 million Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.

Australia’s reigning Horse of the Year, Black Caviar has six rivals in the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic, which is run over about six furlongs on turf. Trainer Peter Moody told the Herald-Sun newspaper in Australia that the 5-year-old Black Caviar has maintained excellent composure as her undefeated streak continues.

Dunaden, a Group 3 stakes winner at Longchamp in April, continued the recent domination of foreign horses in the $6.1 million Melbourne Cup on Tuesday with a nose victory over the British invader Red Cadeaux.

Dunaden won the 23-runner race for his second consecutive win, having won the Geelong Cup in Australia on Oct. 19 under jockey Craig Williams. Williams could not ride Dunaden in the Melbourne Cup, having lost an appeal of a recent suspension in Australian court on Monday.